After Stealing a Kiss from My Sponsor Sister - Chapter 29

Miss Yu was still experiencing some ups and downs, so Jiang Ya took another day off.

The results of the joint provincial exam were released fresh off the press during the second-to-last class on Monday.

In the end, it was Shu Tianxin who handed them to her.

Jiang Ya couldn’t help but laugh when she saw them.

Yu Shuang was already feeling much better, scrolling through her phone when she caught the reaction out of the corner of her eye. “What’s so funny?”

Jiang Ya grinned and asked, “Miss Yu, what fruit would you like? I’ll wash some for you—we can eat while we chat.”

Two days ago, Yu Shuang would’ve had no appetite, but after three days of congee, her stomach was practically devoid of any richness. At Jiang Ya’s suggestion, she actually found herself craving something sweet or sour.

“Peel me a pomegranate.”

“Sure!”

The ruby-red pomegranate seeds, glistening like gemstones, were neatly arranged in a bowl. Jiang Ya even thoughtfully provided a spoon.

After a couple of spoonfuls, Yu Shuang finally realized something and said apologetically, “You’ve been stuck in the hospital with me these past few days—must be pretty boring, huh?”

“Not at all. You’re really fun to be around, Miss Yu.”

“Hmph, you’re just flattering me.”

“No, really. If you don’t believe me, count how many visitors you’ve had—quite a few of them were your admirers, right?”

“…”

Yu Shuang choked slightly. “No way, you could tell?”

“It was obvious.”

Anyone who had a soft spot for Yu Shuang had tried to get her alone, subtly or not-so-subtly attempting to shoo Jiang Ya away.

Yu Shuang lowered her head, scooped up a large spoonful of pomegranate seeds, chewed, and swallowed before muttering, “Focus on your studies. Don’t waste time on trivial things.”

“Okay.” Jiang Ya just smiled.

She could tell—none of them were someone Miss Yu liked.

Shaking her head slightly, Jiang Ya’s smile grew even brighter.

“I have been focusing on my studies. The joint exam results are out—want to guess how I ranked this time?”

“I remember the joint exam is province-wide, so the rankings are consolidated.”

“Yep. This time, we got both the school ranking and the provincial ranking.”

Jiang Ya cupped her face in her hands, her complexion fresh and fair, her eyes curved into crescents—utterly adorable.

Yu Shuang: “You’re so happy—must’ve scored pretty high?”

“Will there be a reward if I did?”

“That depends on how high. What was your previous school ranking again—somewhere in the teens?”

“Mhm, 16th in the grade. A top-20 rank at our high school usually means a spot in the province’s top 100.”

“Not bad at all. So, what’s the ranking this time?”

Jiang Ya blinked, her eyes sparkling, but stayed silent.

Yu Shuang waited a moment, but the kid just kept staring at her with those shining eyes. Yu Shuang uttered two merciless words: “Not guessing.”

“Oh.”

Her expression visibly deflated, like a little flower wilting instantly.

“…”

“Top 10 in the school?”

Those eyes lit up again, encouraging her. “Mhm, that’s right.”

That was a solid improvement.

But then Jiang Ya fell silent again, still staring at her expectantly.

Yu Shuang gave in. “…Fifth?” The median guess was always a safe bet.

“Very close, Miss Yu.”

Somehow, she could hear the encouragement in that response…

Taking a deep breath, Yu Shuang mentally swore this would be the last guess and forced a smile. “Seventh?”

“Third!”

Yu Shuang’s eyes widened. “Seriously?”

“Hahaha, yes, Miss Yu!”

“Here, look.”

“Then what’s your provincial ranking?”

“Fifth in the province! Our school’s rankings are pretty prestigious, you know. Here.”

She showed Yu Shuang the ranking list.

Their class was indeed full of hidden talents—the top three in the grade were all from Class 1, firmly holding their places above Jiang Ya.

“Our class president took first place this time. He’s more balanced across all subjects than I am. I’m still a bit weaker in English, but I’m not worried—I’ve already befriended our class English representative. From now on, I’ll just latch onto her for help.”

Yu Shuang studied the report card carefully for a while, then silently shifted her gaze to Jiang Ya’s face.

Jiang Ya hesitated slightly, but Yu Shuang suddenly burst out in admiration, “You’re amazing, Jiang Xiao-Ya!” She reached out to ruffle Jiang Ya’s hair, hugging her and jumping up and down excitedly.

If not for the confines of the hospital room limiting Miss Yu’s enthusiasm, Jiang Ya felt Yu Shuang could have bounced around even more.

“So incredible!”

“You’re truly outstanding.”

“I’m going to celebrate this properly for you.”

“Quick, send me your transcript! I’m going to frame it on my social media and flaunt it everywhere!!”

Miss Yu smelled nice—perhaps it was perfume, or maybe the fragrance from laundry beads. Either way, it was pleasant and not overpowering.

Jiang Ya was just starting to zone out when Miss Yu cupped her face in both hands, bringing her back to reality.

Being scrubbed like a child by Miss Yu, Jiang Ya giggled and squirmed away from the tickling, only making Yu Shuang even more excited.

Before they knew it, both of them were laughing, their joy filling the hospital room, mingling with the golden sunlight streaming through the window—a bright and beautiful day in their lives.

After the forum incident, the school eventually conceded and forced the offending student to write an apology to Jiang Ya.

With the first major exam behind them, time seemed to accelerate, and life became monotonous yet steady.

By the time Yu Shuang was discharged from the hospital, her company’s project had just wrapped up, granting her a period of leave to recuperate.

This project had been completed exceptionally well. Though there were no follow-up orders yet, the results delivered by their studio had already made it impossible for the client to find a substitute in the market.

Two months passed in rest.

When new offers came in, Jiang Ya had just finished her second major exam—ranking second in her grade and second in the entire province.

Her progress was astonishing.

By the time the New Year arrived, they finally had a break, spending a few days resting at home before the new year began.

Yu Shuang’s newly signed project started moving forward.

Jiang Ya, too, continued advancing toward her goals.

In the third major exam, Jiang Ya maintained her ranking, though the person ahead of her was no longer Shu Tianxin. She was a little displeased, but Yu Shuang thought it was already an excellent result.

Another month later—the college entrance exams.

With a five-point lead, Jiang Ya finally claimed the top spot in the most crucial exam.

Meanwhile, Yu Shuang’s second studio project was nearing completion. When she asked the kid what reward she wanted, Jiang Ya replied with a desire to travel. Yu Shuang, who hadn’t gone on a trip in a long time either, thought it over and picked something challenging—a trip to the Arctic to see the Northern Lights.

While planning, Tan Xiao found out, and the business partner joined in with her significant other.

Once they reached the less convenient living conditions, it was entirely up to Jiang Ya to carry the three adults, who all looked to the freshly eighteen-year-old for support.

Still, it was a wonderful experience.

They saw the auroras.

By the time they returned to China, the university acceptance letters were out. Unsurprisingly, Jiang Ya was admitted to A University.

Shu Tianxin and Mu Xiao were also attending the same school—the former, shockingly, had applied for the mathematics department, while the latter chose English.

Both were accepted.

Xiao Hua and Pang Pang, however, went to different universities—Xiao Hua stayed in their home city, while Pang Pang headed to a coastal one.

As Pang Pang put it, he had long wanted to venture out and see the world. With college as his chance, far from home and parental control, he could finally strive on his own rather than having his entire life mapped out for him.

Everyone applauded him. Before the start of the semester, the five of them gathered for a farewell dinner to send off Pangpang as he headed to study in a different city.

“Why did you choose programming?” Mu Xiao asked Jiang Ya as they walked together after parting ways with the others. They were heading in the same direction.

“Good earning potential,” Jiang Ya replied. “Whether I go into R&D or become a corporate drone, I won’t starve.”

Mu Xiao marveled at Jiang Ya’s pragmatism.

But Jiang Ya countered, “Has Shu Tianxin still not regretted his choice? If he’s not top-tier in his field, it’s basically useless.”

Mu Xiao’s gaze drifted away. “Why ask me? Go ask him yourself…”

Jiang Ya saw right through her. “Still not official, huh? Mutual crushes, classmates?”

Mu Xiao’s face turned bright red.

Jiang Ya understood.

And made it clear she wasn’t the least bit envious.

Mu Xiao, suddenly inspired, asked, “Did your crush work out too?”

Work out her ass—might as well work her over instead.

“Not yet.”

“Not someone from our class? Someone from next door? Or an old classmate of yours?”

Jiang Ya smiled faintly. “None. Of. The. Above.”

“Then who?”

“You don’t know them.”

“…Hmph.”

After a moment of silence, Mu Xiao couldn’t resist leaning in again. “So when will there be progress? After starting university?”

High school crushes usually culminated in confessions after the college entrance exams, making that period the peak time for new couples.

But Jiang Ya shook her head. “At the earliest, after graduation.”

“Huh? Who exactly do you like?”

Jiang Ya fell silent again, refusing to say another word no matter how much Mu Xiao wheedled or threatened.

Mu Xiao and Shu Tianxin stayed together through university, dating for three whole years—a feat Jiang Ya found astonishing.

During those years, Jiang Ya’s time was entirely consumed by Miss Yu and her studies.

Yu Shuang’s studio finally gained recognition in the industry after its fifth project. The year Jiang Ya was a sophomore was also Yu Shuang’s busiest.

With Yu Shuang rarely around, Jiang Ya took on extra academic challenges. Not only did she take her sophomore-year finals, but she also tackled several junior-year courses, passing all with straight A’s and skipping a year.

At the start of her third year, her exceptional self-study skills caught the attention of a professor. While others were interning, Jiang Ya was pulled into a project team. By mid-year, the project was completed, and Jiang Ya earned her first substantial paycheck—which she exchanged for a brooch and gifted to Yu Shuang.

The second half of the year saw her diving into another project, glued to her computer daily. The stress drove her to start working out.

By her fourth year, the days they saw each other could be counted on one hand.

At year’s end, Yu Shuang’s studio welcomed a new partner, fueling even greater artistic ambitions.

Jiang Ya, accepted into graduate school under her project professor—a renowned figure in the field—began her early career as a research grunt.

Financially, she became fully independent from Yu Shuang. At the start of the year, she stopped asking for living expenses, and by year’s end, she had saved enough to repay all her educational costs, transferring the sum to Yu Shuang in one go.

After spending their fourth New Year together, Yu Shuang finally decided to pause her hectic schedule and take a long break.

Jiang Ya’s advisor received a collaboration offer from a subsidiary of the He Corporation and forwarded the project to her. As the advisor’s star pupil, Jiang Ya accepted, and her team took charge of the project.

On the day the snow stopped, an invitation arrived at Yu Shuang’s home.

The gilded cover was understated yet luxurious.

Opening it revealed that both the invitee and the host were familiar faces.

In the afternoon, a message popped up on Yu Shuang’s phone. The last time the two had chatted in this conversation box was two years ago.

Su Shu: “I’m coming back to the country for an exhibition. Will you come, Ningning?”

Yu Shuang’s fingers hovered over the organizer’s name—He Corporation—before replying, “I’ll be there.”